1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a work vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
(1) First Related Art
One example of a conventional work vehicle is disclosed in JP 2009-056967 A. This work vehicle is provided with: a boarding section provided with a seat that allows an occupant to be seated thereon; and an engine that is located below the seat. This work vehicle is further provided with: a separator that is located below the seat within the boarding section and separates a foot space for the occupant and the engine from each other, the foot space being formed forward of the engine.
However, since the engine is located in the vicinity of the seat, heat from the engine is likely to be transmitted to the foot space via the separator, and there is the risk of heat from the engine bringing discomfort to the occupant seated on the seat.
In light of the above-described situation, there is a demand for providing a work vehicle in which heat from the engine is prevented from bringing discomfort to an occupant.
(2) Second Related Art
Another example of a conventional work vehicle is disclosed in JP 4981762 B2 (JP 2010-030363 A). This work vehicle is provided with: a boarding section having front seats that include a driver's seat, and a rear seat provided rearward of the front seats; and an engine provided below the rear seat.
However, since the engine is provided below the rear seat, heat from the engine is likely to reach the rear seat side. Therefore, it is conceivable to provide a separator that separates the rear seat and the engine from each other. However, simply providing the separator hinders access to the engine side, and makes it difficult to perform inspection work on the engine or the like.
In light of such problems, there is a demand for providing a work vehicle in which heat from the engine is prevented from reaching the rear seat side, and in which it is easy to perform inspection work on the engine or the like.
(3) Third Related Art
Another example of a conventional work vehicle is disclosed in JP 2010-215165 A. In this work vehicle, an engine is located in a rear part of a travelling vehicle body, and electrical components (a battery box) is located in a front part of the travelling vehicle body.
However, since the electrical components are separated from the engine, the wiring length of a harness connected to the electrical components is too long, and there are problems such as an increase in cost and the complexity when handling the harness. Therefore, it is desirable that the electrical components are located in the vicinity of the engine. However, if the electrical components are located in the vicinity of the engine, there is the risk of the electrical components having a short lifespan due to the influence of heat from the engine.
In light of such problems, there is a demand for providing a work vehicle in which, despite electrical components being located in the vicinity of an engine, heat from the engine is prevented from affecting the electrical components.
(4) Fourth Related Art
One example of a conventional vehicle is disclosed in JP 2014-227076 A. This vehicle is provided with a foldable seat configured such that a sitting section having a seat surface is switchable to a seating position in which the seat surface faces upward, and to a non-use position in which the seat surface stands up and faces forward. Also, a supporting frame provided to span left and right rear fenders is provided with a support bracket that supports a driver's seat, and a fixed end of a seat belt is joined and fixed to the supporting frame.
In a vehicle having the above-described conventional structure, the fixed end of the seat belt is fixed to the supporting frame for supporting the seat. Therefore, the vehicle is useful in the point that even if the seat is large and is of a movable type that allows for positional switching, an end portion of the seat belt can be fixed at a certain position irrespective of the positional switching of the seat.
However, in a vehicle having this structure, the supporting frame is required to have a robust structure in order to simultaneously fulfil the purpose of supporting the seat and the purpose of fixing the seat belt, and there is room for improvement in the point that the device is likely to be large in size, for example.
In other words, there is a demand for a configuration in which the seat belt used for the seat that allows positional switching can be fixed to a certain position irrespective of the positional switching of the seat, and in which an area to which an end portion of the seat belt is fixed is not required to be improved in regards to strength.
(5) Fifth Related Art
One example of a conventional vehicle is disclosed in JP 2009-179253 A. In this vehicle, a load carrying platform is disposed on a travelling vehicle body, front lateral plates of the load carrying platform are engageable with a front plate and are joined to and supported by rear lateral plates so as to be swingable about a swing axis extending in a direction that intersects a load mounting surface, and the load carrying platform is configured such that the front-rear length thereof is changeable to the length when the load carrying platform is in the expanded position where the front lateral plates extend along the direction in which the rear lateral plates extend, and to the length when the load carrying platform is in the shortened position where the front lateral plates are bent and intersect the rear lateral plates. In this vehicle, fulcrum pins are inserted through brackets that are fixed to the rear surfaces of the front lateral plates of the load carrying platform, and frames that are fixed to the front surfaces of the rear lateral plates of the load carrying platform, and the front lateral plates are thus supported so as to be swingable in the left-right direction about an axis in the top-bottom direction, relative to the rear lateral plates.
A vehicle having the above-described conventional structure is useful in the point that the front-rear length of the load carrying platform can be easily changed by changing the position of the front lateral plates.
In such a vehicle, the suspension springs for the rear wheels are typically set to be relatively stiff so that the suspension springs for the rear wheels can maintain an appropriate shock-absorbing function even when a heavy object is mounted on the load carrying platform. Therefore, when the load carrying platform is empty, the load mounting surface is inclined such that the front part thereof is slightly lower, and the axes of the fulcrum pins extending in the top-bottom direction, with which the front lateral plates and the rear lateral plates are pivotally joined to each other, are slightly inclined forward.
Consequently, for example when the position of the load carrying platform, which is currently in the expanded position where the front lateral plates extend along the direction in which the rear lateral plates extend, is changed to the shortened position where the front lateral plates are bent and intersect the rear lateral plates, the following problems might arise. That is, when an operator first brings one of the front lateral plates in the left-right direction of the load carrying platform into the position in which the one of the front lateral plates is bent and intersects the rear lateral plates, and then turns around the rear side of the load carrying platform and bends the other of the front lateral plates in the same manner, the one of the front lateral plates that has been first brought into the shortened position may restore the original expanded position due to its own weight.
In order to avoid such a problem, it is necessary to maintain the position of the front lateral plate, which has been brought into the shortened position, by placing a weight for preventing restoration, or to maintain the position with the aid of an assistant operator. This vehicle requires troublesome work, and there is room for improvement in this regard.
In other words, there is a demand for a vehicle that provides improved efficiency when the length of the load carrying platform is changed, by making it easier to maintain the position of the front lateral plate when the front-rear length of the load carrying platform is changed by changing the position of the front lateral plate.